[Krahe]

Quote:

But this issue is only going to get bigger because the "freemium"model - where you get the original product for free and then pay for extra content - is sweeping through the games business and online media industries.

Interesting read, it starts out about the kid who spent his parents money, but the meat of the article is about the ftp model thats becoming so popular.

Source

 

[Bit_reaper]

I for one really really hate in game purchase, micro transactions even DLC's. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying all free to play games are evil. There are a few exceptions that handle micro transactions gracefully like league of legends for example.

Most of the time however I find myself utterly disgusted with how companies try and milk more money out of people by raping them with crapy DLC's that add up costing 2x or 3x the price of the base game.

Its not like I hate the idea of DonwLoadableContent but if I'm asked to pay 5-25€ for it then it better contain something that actually extends the game and not just add a new skin to it. And don't come out with 50 different mini DLC that you have to sort through to find what is a total rip of and whats not

/rant

 

[Zero4549]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bit_reaper

I for one really really hate in game purchase, micro transactions even DLC's. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying all free to play games are evil. There are a few exceptions that handle micro transactions gracefully like league of legends for example.

Most of the time however I find myself utterly disgusted with how companies try and milk more money out of people by raping them with crapy DLC's that add up costing 2x or 3x the price of the base game.

Its not like I hate the idea of DonwLoadableContent but if I'm asked to pay 5-25€ for it then it better contain something that actually extends the game and not just add a new skin to it. And don't come out with 50 different mini DLC that you have to sort through to find what is a total rip of and whats not

/rant

Agreed, with one added addition - UNLESS it is a MMO (where I can understand the need for tight security and client parity), said downloadable content should supplement what is available through mods, rather than attempt to replace modding.

Good example - Skyrim.
Bad example - Any Korean game ever. (sorry)

 

[j3st3r]

I like that picture with everyone staring at their phones like little zombies. I swear the zombie reality is here just not as scary or as skinny.

 

[Zero4549]

Quote:

Originally Posted by j3st3r

I like that picture with everyone staring at their phones like little zombies. I swear the zombie reality is here just not as scary or as skinny.

Yeah, like you don't look just as vacant and mindless while hunched over your keyboard in the dark staring at the big glowy monitor. Admit it.

Phones these days are just smaller, simpler, and more accessible computers for the masses.

 

[driftingforlife]

Was the parents fault, not the kid's.

 

[linkin93]

Quote:

Originally Posted by driftingforlife

Was the parents fault, not the kid's.

Giving a child access to a parents credit card is just a recipe for disaster. Ask my parents

 

[Krahe]

Its more the freemium part I found interesting, I play a lot of World of Tanks and it is ftp but I have managed to spend about $300 to speed up the grind process, and that's on top of what I get from my clan for holding land on the Clan wars map, one guy in our clan puts $100 a fortnight into the game. It comes back to the "carrot and stick' Psychology I suppose, anyways my new years res was to stop spending money on the game, holding out so far

 

[Kosire]

That's some randomly qouted bit of the article, OP

 

[juhansoo12]

I really hate microtransactions and the worst part is that they're not really micro, but more like macrotransactions. Spending 10-100$, sometimes even multiple times, is just insane. And they have no lasting value. One day, the servers for the games will be shut down and poof, all that money goes down the toilet. Or maybe I'm just too poor.

 

[Meebsy]

How much you spend on a FTP game in micro-transactions is irrelevant. If you have considerable game time and thoroughly enjoy it, it is a valued investment. Unless you starting spending in the $1000s, then you got problems

 

[Waltibaba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meebsy

How much you spend on a FTP game in micro-transactions is irrelevant. If you have considerable game time and thoroughly enjoy it, it is a valued investment. Unless you starting spending in the $1000s, then you got problems

And that is exactly the problem. It used to be that we paid $45 for a game, or a $15 monthly subscription for an online game, and potentially another $30 for 2 expansions (not talking about the Sims here...).

Now, its standard to charge $150 for the game in total, possibly even more with micro transactions. You can only buy 1 game for the price of 3 just a couple years ago, but apparently that's "irrelevant" as long as you're enjoying it.

I attribute the recent surge in (cheap) indie games to:
1. this exact price gouging, and
2. the fact that each subsequent 'AAA' game is a crappier console port than the last.

Micro transactions and DLC/expansions are fine as long as they are well done (LoL, Planetside 2, Skyrim), not like BF3.

 

[Krahe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kosire

That's some randomly qouted bit of the article, OP

Apologies, mods pls delete if its against the rules, I was more interested in the "Freemium model" as the kid losing his parents money had been posted before.

From my experiences in "WOT's" I can see why EA and other companies are following this model, people will spend more $ in the long run then they would on a AAA title.

 

[InsaneMatt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waltibaba

Micro transactions and DLC/expansions are fine as long as they are well done (LoL, Planetside 2, Skyrim), not like BF3.

Not sure what you're talking about there; Planetside 2 is very expensive. Or should I say 'Sony Station Cash' is.

5 USD / 5 EUR / 4 GBP for 500 SC is rediculous.
It's most expensive option is 10,000 SC, which is 74 GBP. You save a grand total of 2 GBP if you buy this, instead of several 500 SC purchases.

Then there's the exchange rate they use too; Planetside 2 is extremely expensive.

 

[brandontaz2k2]

Why can't we just go back to the simpler times where you had to find mods/maps/skins on the internet or by word of other fellow gamers... Where maps were made by the people that love the game and are not making the maps just to get a paycheck.. Lets go back to the Unreal Tournament days where you could have massive team fights inside of a house's bathroom or kitchen xD. Or the Counter Strike days where you can surf and climb mountains/buildings... Oh man I gotta reinstall these games again. Sorry but these new games aren't getting my money!

 

[Zero4549]

Quote:

Originally Posted by InsaneMatt

Not sure what you're talking about there; Planetside 2 is very expensive. Or should I say 'Sony Station Cash' is.

5 USD / 5 EUR / 4 GBP for 500 SC is rediculous.
It's most expensive option is 10,000 SC, which is 74 GBP. You save a grand total of 2 GBP if you buy this, instead of several 500 SC purchases.

Then there's the exchange rate they use too; Planetside 2 is extremely expensive.

I think the point he is making is that the stuff in planetside doesn't make you win, it just gives you a different way to play.

All the weapons are more or less balanced with each other and you cant use station cash to actually earn higher ranks or abilities.

Just guns (which as I just mentioned are different rather than better) and cosmetics (which actually hurt your score since they make you easier to spot by the enemy).

And even then, those guns can be unlocked 100% through certs earned for free in game.

So yes, no one is stopping you from tossing a couple hundred bucks at station cash, but you would be stupid to do so.

 

[b.walker36]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brandontaz2k2

Why can't we just go back to the simpler times where you had to find mods/maps/skins on the internet or by word of other fellow gamers... Where maps were made by the people that love the game and are not making the maps just to get a paycheck.. Lets go back to the Unreal Tournament days where you could have massive team fights inside of a house's bathroom or kitchen xD. Or the Counter Strike days where you can surf and climb mountains/buildings... Oh man I gotta reinstall these games again. Sorry but these new games aren't getting my money!

While that was nice it just didn't make sense to continue along that path. I wish it still was that way but at the same time I'm not going to bash the companies for going the way they have. I Kinda just look at it this way.

You own a lemonade stand and provide a nice glass of lemonade for 50 cents. Then you notice this guy next to you just gives out ice to people for free, and this other dude next to that gives out a splash of iced tea for your lemonade. At first your like this is cool, but then you realize hey I'm here to make money and make my customers happy. If i cut out these other guys and offer the same addons for my lemonade at a small cost I make more money and my customers have one stop shopping, support on my lemonade plus addons and everyone wins.

Sometimes companies go to a whole new level but like with DS3 the micro transactions provide no competitive advantage and are inexpensive so i have no issues.

 

[InsaneMatt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zero4549

I think the point he is making is that the stuff in planetside doesn't make you win, it just gives you a different way to play.

All the weapons are more or less balanced with each other and you cant use station cash to actually earn higher ranks or abilities.

I haven't tried any weapons other than the defaults, so I personally cannot comment on that but I have heard it's pretty well balanced.
While you can't directly buy 'Cert Points', you can artificially boost how quickly you get them via XP and Resource Boosters.

Regardless, I still find Planetside 2 quite fun.

 

[Zero4549]

Quote:

Originally Posted by b.walker36

While that was nice it just didn't make sense to continue along that path. I wish it still was that way but at the same time I'm not going to bash the companies for going the way they have. I Kinda just look at it this way.

You own a lemonade stand and provide a nice glass of lemonade for 50 cents. Then you notice this guy next to you just gives out ice to people for free, and this other dude next to that gives out a splash of iced tea for your lemonade. At first your like this is cool, but then you realize hey I'm here to make money and make my customers happy. If i cut out these other guys and offer the same addons for my lemonade at a small cost I make more money and my customers have one stop shopping, support on my lemonade plus addons and everyone wins.

Sometimes companies go to a whole new level but like with DS3 the micro transactions provide no competitive advantage and are inexpensive so i have no issues.

Actually it would make more sense to use a car dealership analogy.

You notice that people are going elsewhere for aftermarket parts for the cars they bought from you.

You don't mind - in fact it is cool because the cars you sell are just perfect for customizing with aftermarket parts, so everyone buys your cars instead of the competitors even though theirs offer a slightly better stock configuration. (these are your old games that thrived on mod communities)

But then you figure... hey... I can get EVEN MORE customers if I offer pre-installed aftermarket parts right here at the dealership itself at the time of car purchase! Now all those suckers with extra money to toss who used to buy your competitor's better stock-config car might just come to you instead since you now offer better "off the lot" (even if it isn't technically stock) car options. (ok, now we're talking Bethesda games, and others that still allow modding but also offer paid DLC - why not?)

Great... but.... you know what... some people are still going for after-market parts... and you know you will never be able to compete with the after-market guys in terms of price/quantity/quality while still running a dealership (which, realistically, only works if you are selling to the lowest common denominator).

Well... darn... what to do? That's right. You start locking down your cars to the point where any modification causes a self-destruct bomb to go off.. WAIT WHAT?! Yeah, it doesn't make sense does it? So why does it make sense for video games?

 

[Zero4549]

Quote:

Originally Posted by InsaneMatt

I haven't tried any weapons other than the defaults, so I personally cannot comment on that but I have heard it's pretty well balanced.
While you can't directly buy 'Cert Points', you can artificially boost how quickly you get them via XP and Resource Boosters.

Regardless, I still find Planetside 2 quite fun.

I've got maybe 10-15 non stock weapons... I prefer some of them, but none of them are really all-around better. In fact, some are significantly worse in pretty much every stat (and just easier for noobs to use, or gimmicky).

As for boosters... yeah, technically you could buy a new cert boost like every 2 days if you are insane and just bleeding money or something. Would be pretty silly though, and you still need to earn certs in the first place. 10% more than 0 is still 0.

EDIT: I forgot about vehicle weapons... some of these are just better, like getting a secondary weapon for your ESF... although even then you have the disadvantage of losing a huge chunk afterburner fuel capacity. It is my opinion however that any good pilot can make the extra fire power go a lot further than the extra escape/chase speed which you could just get from certing into anyway if you know you are the kind who needs to rely on running away in a straight line quicker than your foe.

So... yeah... I guess there are like two or three things that are legit just BETTER rather than merely different (assuming you are good at the role they are designed for in the first place). Assuming you're good enough at said roles though, you should already have the certs for said items.